EIB and partners provide EUR 190 loan to SMEs in Serbia

The EU bank announced that it signed four loans totaling EUR 110 million in Serbia with the Serbian banking and leasing subsidiaries of Intesa Sanpaolo and Societe Generale, to support projects by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and infrastructure schemes by local authorities.

They are the initial tranches of a total of EUR 190 million in credit lines already approved by the EIB to support the Serbian economy together with the two banking groups, a statement said.

The loans are provided under the EU Pre-Accession Facility which is aimed at assisting Serbia in its efforts to integrate into the European Union.

The EIB is the leading international financier in the Western Balkans, having funded projects totaling EUR 6.4 billion since 2006.